You’ve heard of glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid: but have you heard of azelaic acid? If you’ve similar skin problems to me, you really, really should. Because (spoiler alert) nothing in skincare had ever that big of an effect in changing my skin for the better (after using niacinamide and retinol). If you’ve ever asked yourself ‘should I use azelaic acid?’ – here’re all the answers.
My skin concerns
(… are manifold.) I’ve got what you’d usually call sensitive combination skin, and I’m feeling like aging rapidly. (But who doesn’t?) Apart from the usual hormonal outbreaks every now and then, my biggest concern are hyperpigmentation and uneven skintone.
Nowadays it takes around six months to a year until the traces of a bad outbreak fade from my skin. And there’s the lovely reminder that in the tropics, you REALLY should re-apply sunscreen every two hours, meaning melasma on the top of my cheekbones where my sunglasses apparently compromised my sunscreen.
Vitamin C didn’t do enough for my taste in fading those marks, and I started to look around for another option, and landed on azelaic acid.
How to fade hyperpigmentation
The trifecta of fighting hyperpigmentation seems to be Vitamin C, Niacinamide and retinol. I use niacinamides and retinol for a lot of issues (anti-aging is only one of them), and they’re always in my routine, no matter what. They’ve long-term effects on your skin, and it seemed that I’ve reaped the maximum effect from them: but not enough to satisfy me.
Now, as I mentioned above, Vitamin C didn’t seem to do a lot for me, and the actives I should try apart from that seemed to be hydroquinone, arbutin or azelaic acid. In Germany, hydroquinone treatments that are helping against hyperpigmentation (over 2% of hydroquinone) are not freely available. I want some OTC, though, and not sit around in a doctor’s waiting room. Arbutin has less side-effects than hydroquinone, but is less effective. The same is said about azelaic acid, and because there’s some easily available products with azelaic acid available, azelaic acid it was.
Azelaic acid, the superhero
Treating bacterial acne
Azelaic acid has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and is great for all skin tones without having many side effects. Only since 2007 it’s used to lighten hyperpigmentation, before it was just used in treating bacterial acne, because it has a similar effect to benzoyl peroxide. This is because it treats bacterial related acne by killing bacteria in pores, thus reducing inflammation. It also reduces the production of keratin, which promotes the growth of acne bacteria. In layman’s terms, it not only kills bacteria, but also their food supply.
Treating hyperpigmentation
When it comes to improving skin tone and evening out pigmentation, azelaic acid is able to reduce melanin production by inhibiting the enzyme that promotes melanin production.
After a week, you should see differences and full effects after a month. Michelle from Labmuffin says: ‘In combination with retinol, it’s almost as effective as hydroquinone!’
NEVER forget your sunscreen when using azelaic acid though: it IS an acid and makes skin more sensitive to sunlight.
More info on azelaic acid at Paula’s Choice and Incipedia.
What it did for me
A calmer and more even skin tone
I started to use Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Booster, and like I said in the beginning, I haven’t seen these kind of visible effects on my skin for ages. I could see a difference in the redness of my cheeks after a few days, and after a week or so I could see slight changes in my uneven skintone.
10% though doesn’t really do a lot for stubborn old spots of hyperpigmentation, nor clearing up the traces of melasma completely. But hey, I’ll take what I can (maybe Skinoren is in my future, who knows.)
Combatting breakouts
What really surprised me that it helped me not breaking out. When I went away for the weekend some time ago, I could feel a monster pimple slowly forming on my chin – you know, the deep, painful variety that takes ages to build up and ages to go away. I was cursing my life, because I hadn’t brought either pimple patches nor benzoyl peroxide with me, and all I actually had was PC’s retinol and the Azelaic Booster. Not knowing what else to do, I used a generous amount of the booster especially on my chin – and after two days, it was gone without a trace. I was flabbergasted.
New spots also fade much quicker than I experienced before.
Products with Azelaic Acid (selection)
Skinoren (most effective with 20% of azelaic acid, prescription only)
Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Booster / Clear Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with Azelaic Acid (same product, different name)
Geek & Gorgeous Apad 20% Azelaic Acid Derivative Serum. (It’s an azelaic acid derivative, which is why the amount is that high.) The formula has propanediol very high on the inci list, which I (and my skin) doesn’t like.
Garden of Wisdom Azelaic Acid 10% Serum – this looks like a proper, liquid serum (with a very short ingredient list) that I’m very keen to try out!
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% – this I didn’t like because of the texture that’s even more silicone-y than the PC one.
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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